Former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir (15-2, 11 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet rising Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (30-13, 17 KOs, 10 SUBs) at UFC Fight Night 138 on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at the Moncton Events Centre in New Brunswick, Canada. The main card airs live on FS1 starting 10 pm ET.
Volkan Oezdemir learned the hard way - from champ champ Daniel Cormier - that there’s levels to this sport. Now he’s trying to teach the same lesson to Anthony Smith, a fast-rising contender that seems to be raising his hand to volunteer for any short notice injury spot these days.
On one hand, it’s helped Smith keep his name in the spotlight. On the other, Smith might one day bite off more than he can chew. But there’s no denying that “Lionheart” has looked impressive of late, shredding two former champions in Rashad Evans and Shogun Rua in less than three minutes combined. But those opponents were faded legends. Oezdemir is a contender in his prime.
The matchup serves as this Saturday’s main event in New Brunswick, and it’s an aesthetically pleasing matchup between two strikers. Oezdemir was 2017’s fighter of the year, storming through three straight contenders - brutally knocking out Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa - to earn a title shot. Smith is coming to steal his thunder.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and get into the best betting options here. Live UFC betting at BookMaker.eu is also available in case you want to hedge your bets or don’t want to lock in anything just yet.
UFC Fight Night 138 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Anthony Smith +160
Volkan Oezdemir -195
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision +800 / -1050
Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed per minute: Oezdemir 5.19 / Smith 3.35
Accuracy: Oezdemir 47.24% / Smith 46.09%
Significant strikes absorbed per minute: Oezdemir 5.14 / Smith 3.95
Defense: Oezdemir 56.41% / Smith 46.46%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Oezdemir 0 / Smith 0.5
Takedown accuracy: Oezdemir 0% / Smith 27.27%
Takedowns defended: Oezdemir 71.43% / Smith 48.27%
Submission average: Oezdemir 0 / Smith 0.83
Bet on Oezdemir vs. Smith odds at BookMaker.eu now
Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way. First, this will be a kickboxing match, as Oezdemir has yet to attempt a takedown in the UFC, and Smith’s wrestling isn’t good enough to force the issue. Smith’s height needs to be mentioned, as the 6’4” Lionheart will have a three inch height advantage over the Swedish striker.
Oddsmakers are clearly favoring Oezdemir’s technical game and power over Smith’s action-oriented style. “No Time” flatlined Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa while backpedaling, leaving no doubt that his fists can do irreparable harm. Against Cormier, he looked solid when the matchup was pure sparring, but crumbled quickly when DC started his trademark walkdowns.
Smith has always been a brawler at heart, and in all of his fights there are wild moments of free swinging. The question here is how Oezdemir responds. Does he impose a technical battle, or will he start trading in return? If Volkan doesn’t have to worry about takedowns, that opens up his full offensive arsenal. Of course, Smith is never afraid to take risks when it comes to striking either.
UFC Odds Pick: Oezdemir to win at -195
Considering the matchup, this is a relatively affordable price. Even if Oezdemir decides to bite down on his mouthguard and bang, his power is far more reliable and his kickboxing is more technically sound.
UFC Odds Pick: Fight goes to decision at +800
So this fight probably won’t go five rounds, but +800 for the decision prop?? I’ll definitely put a small bet on that.
UFC Fight Night 138 Odds
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC Fight Night takes place on 138 on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at the Moncton Events Centre in New Brunswick, Canada. The main card airs live on FS1 starting 10 pm ET.
